Dancing Leaves
by Aoi Raito
Summary: Yona is rescued from the hands of the enemy. However, Hak feels guilty for her injuries, causing his sorrow in a cold dark night under the dancing leaves.


The wind blew towards south, carrying within itself a current of cold air. The tent trembled when touched by it, and the leaves just above danced violently under its whisper. _A wild dance for a cold dark night_ , thought Yoon, and thus he packed the last of his stuff.

"Is everything going to be alright, Thunder Beast?" he asked looking towards the tent. There in front was lying a corpulent figure, covered in blue dark raiment and owner of tormented sad eyes. By Yoon's side, Jae-Ha was raising with a pack around his neck; and though he'd denied it, the cold wind made him shiver a little. Yoon noticed that time was running low.

"C'mon, Yoon", he said with his calm and charming tone, "Hak will take good care of her". _I trust he'll do_ , he thought after all. Hak laid his eyes upon Jae-Ha and couldn't express more gratitude, even because he and Zeno were the ones who saved Yona.

"Go", those were his first and rough words, "and bring Lili back". Hak received a firm stare from his companions.

Shin-Ah and Kija were already near the second fortress. Soo-Won's army was still behind without notice of what had happened to Lili; but when it comes to him, certainly everything would go _annoyingly_ well. Even so, it was Hak's and his team's duty to protect Lily, since they were chosen as her bodyguards. _I guess we failed her, too_ , he thought worriedly as he gazed Jae-Ha jumping with Yoon upon his back towards northeast; there blows a cold even more intense than here, and there laid a place where fire will bring rocks to ashes – at least, that's what Hak was expecting. He couldn't forgive anyone of those who'd hurt her. The night was dark and quiet, he'd dare to say frightening, but fear wasn't the feeling which tormented Hak now; it was anger, for his imprudence and impotence to protect his Princess. Perhaps to relieve her pain, caused – he believed – due to his neglect before.

Yona awoke with an incisive pain on her ankle. It was hot and throbbing, but perfectly bearable, mainly now that it's being treated with Yoon's medicines. She was ready to ask for more, when she came across with Hak's back, large and imposing, like a blue dark wall emerging from the ground guarding her. Strangely, she could do nothing, just glared at his back in silence. _Hak is protecting me_ , she thought, and she could feel his sad fury flowing from where he stood. Maybe that's why she couldn't move, anyway.

"It was a long time ago", he said, and she felt her heart skipping a beat, "I guess I was fifteen; yes, it was when King Il convinced me to be your bodyguard". Yona noticed that Hak was talking to himself, and even if it's gross listening one's outflows in secret, she just couldn't say a word. Not a single word. "I didn't want it because It was boring, and I hated being in middle of you nobles' things. And I hated how I'd have to work if I had to protect you, because you were always so innocent… So fool". Yona hated as he said those things, not because all of it seemed an offense; it was more like a sad and vague memory. Hak was not used to say sad words, or maybe Yona wasn't used listening such words from him. "Yet, I accepted it because I saw how fragile you were, and how you needed me around. Now what? Am I really worthy of protecting you? You grew so fast that I could barely follow you, and instead of keeping that a secret I really wanted everyone to see how far you went. I trusted you, I still trust; but I'm an idiot who also trusts other people, and because of this I'm guilty for your state and for your pain."

He remained shut for some minutes, just glaring at the darkness swallowing the trees at the distance. Yona's eyes were teary, but still she couldn't say a thing. It was the first time Hak's feelings were being unraveled, and she must – or she thought she must – get to knowing them.

"The fact is: the more I know about you, the more I admire you, and the more I live, the more I want to see where you'll reach. My bad for telling you this in this situation, but I haven't enough strength to tell it personally… It's against my principles" he left out a giggle, "no… It's not a question of principles, at all… It's just that you take my composure. You always took". Yona couldn't face him now, or else he'll see the blood running through her cheeks, and how her hand was holding her chest like an intent to slow down her heart. "You asked me to don't die, didn't you? But I'd die a million times if it was for you to survive. If it's not needed, then everything will be fine. So don't do this damn thing again, will you? Stop freaking me out, or else you'll pay with my utmost annoyance, Princess."

Thus, he never said other thing until later at night, and Yona couldn't keep herself calm. Deep in her heart bloomed a realization too scary for her to deal, at least in this situation. Perhaps it was better if she just keep this conversation – between Hak and himself – as a secret; but even as a secret, whether in dreams and daydreams she'll be persecuted by Hak's words, and therefore she won't ever be able to see him as the same as usual. Hak was changing on her sight, probably as much as she was on his, and probably this was the scariest thing at all.

However, scary things aren't necessarily bad.


End file.
